Based on feedback from last week’s email, it seems you would prefer I focussed on the aspects more unique to self-publishing and that experience, so I shall leave out the writing section that I had planned and will assume anyone interested in SP will have written a book already.
Finding and working with editors
Before you begin:
Know your budget (and if there’s any wiggle room - you’ll likely end up paying more than you might like for someone great!)
Search for books you admire or are similar to yours - and see who the editor was - make a list of those who are the best in your age category/genre
Make a list of what you think your manuscript needs (does it just need a proof read or will it need a full developmental edit, plus line and copy edits, too - almost every book needs them all!)
Do as much work as you can do yourself, and see if you can get some alpha or beta readers to read for you (this might be in exchange for you reading theirs). They often pick up LOTS of things which will save your editor doing!
How to find an editor(s):
Fiver/Reedsy etc are good places to start but do look around
You can contact someone who’s work you admire (ie they worked with a friend or on a book you love)
Post on social media
Check their portfolio out on their website - most editors will either display a sample edit or will offer to do a few pages for free to see if you like their style (and for them to assess how much work your manuscript might need - which may affect price for certain edits)
Know your budget up front and state it to anyone you contact early, so you can check you’re on the same page - however, most editors have a page with their prices, so do check them first.
Fees and contracts:
How much to spend?
Should you negotiate - most editors will have fixed fees but many have returning customer discounts or special offers on at different times, so look out for these.
Many will also let you do a payment plan as it can be expensive and good ones usually do understand that.
You could do a contract if you are paying anything up front, and the editor is new to you, so it’s clear what is being paid for and should be delivered.
Things to look out for:
They have relevant experience for your age category/genre
That it’s a collaborative process
Payment timelines (never pay all up front)
Working with an editor(s):
This SHOULD be a collaborative process - so discuss in advance how it will work - will they use track changes or comments in text or summary at the end only? Know exactly what the edit will look like.
You should let them know of any areas you’re concerned about or think might need more work than others
However, you shouldn’t go into too much detail as they will be reading the manuscript fresh, like a reader, and you want them to spot things on their own and not be too focussed on your suggestions.
You should go through several rounds/stages of edits (more on these below):
Developmental
Line
Copy
Proofreading
The final manuscript:
Check that the editor has delivered what was agreed when you first asked them
Read through the manuscript and take time to digest the comments - don’t be afraid to email them to clarify or discuss any points - most good ones will be happy to do this. Developmental editors often also include a call afterwards for this very reason.
Test the manuscript by uploading to KDP/Ingram/BookVault etc (remember you’ll need to format the manuscript yourself - or pay someone to do that - with the right trim size etc and the right file type for that format)
Types of Edits
Developmental
A developmental edit should focus on the overall structure of the whole novel, and could encompass everything from character development to plot development, world-building, point of view, voice, etc as it spans across the whole story.
It will generally conclude with a report that can span several thousand words and will evaluate all the elements mentioned above.
It may result in a rewrite of the whole story, or perhaps several rewrites. I remember having to rewrite most of Act 2 in almost all my novels (I have Act 2 issues!) and a good developmental editor will find both the issues in your work, as well as the strengths and will help you enhance those elements to make the story even more effective.
Line
A line edit should focus on the flow of your work on a line-by-line or sentence level and while it might address some bigger issues that recur throughout, it is more likely to focus on improving the tone and pace of the work, and also things like word choice or variation.
There may be some grammar-like or spelling notes and corrections but that is not the main focus.
They will help your work sing on a sentence by sentence basis!
Copy
A copy edit should focus on consistency and accuracy. Perhaps it will be fact checking if you use any real life references, or even to ensure your characters are consistent throughout (more things like eye colour than anything character-related which should be addressed during developmental, but may be picked up here if not before).
This might not seem an important stage but I’ve had things brought up at this stage that would have embarrassed (science knowledge!) me if it hadn’t been pointed out, and might cause a reader to come out of the story, and lose credibility for you as the author, due to the inaccuracy.
Proof
A proof edit should focus on eliminating any errors that remain in grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting, and generally make the manuscript as clean as it can be before it is published.
Sometimes people will combine copy and proof editing together to save on cost, and many freelance editors will offer this.
Sensitivity
A sensitivity read will ‘make editorial suggestions regarding content that could be considered offensive, inaccurate or stereotypical.’
This can range from race to sexuality to gender, or specific conditions, such as my own Type 1 Diabetes.
In Ghosts of Mars, I had a sensitivity read for Black British and Indian British characters, as well as veganism, and diabetes (yes, I got a sensitivity read on my own lived experience, just to be sure it was a shared experience with other diabetics). I know other authors have done similar to get the details of a non-lived experience more life-like and avoid inaccuracies or stereotypes.
Editing Software
There are many different softwares out there that will help (to a certain extent) with things like grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence level editing. It might be a cost-effective alternative for some of the usual proof work that might be done, but it’s rarely perfect.
Some are even able to do a little more than this and can detect active/passive voice and if you are using crutch words and suggestions places where more variation is required.
I suspect over the coming years AI (which most of these softwares are based upon) will continue to develop and will do more and more.
I think many are already using chat GTP and other places for a variety of editing purposes.
For me, personally, this is not an avenue I want to go down. I prefer to get a human to read my work and give suggestions - I also want to financially support human editors and definitely trust them more than any software, as they bring emotions and experience that our AI friends cannot.
Potential editing softwares you can use:
Free editor on Microsoft Word
Grammarly
Pro Writing Aid
Hemingway Editor
Scrivener
Fictionary
And many more - just do a quick google search.
Next week we will look at Cover illustration/design.
Don’t chicken out!